Laramie, Wyoming - On Tuesday, University of Wyoming's head football coach, Jay Sawvel, revealed the newest addition to the coaching staff, Jeff Phelps. Phelps, a seasoned coach with nearly 25 seasons of experience, will be taking on the role of mentoring the defensive tackles for the Brown Gold. This move reunites him with Coach Sawvel, with whom he has previously worked at Northern Illinois and Minnesota.
Coach Sawvel expressed confidence in Phelps, stating:
“I worked with coach Phelps for three seasons at Northern Illinois and six seasons at Minnesota and I know the quality of coach we are adding, but most importantly the quality of person we are bringing into the program”
“He will fit seamlessly into our program and I’m excited for him to get started with players.”
Phelps brings an impressive track record to Wyoming, having been a part of 15 bowl games throughout his career. Notably, he coached two-time Mid-American Conference MVP Larry English, a first-round draft pick in 2009. His coaching candor was evident in the 2016 Minnesota team, which ranked 12th in the nation in tackles for loss, and the 2018 Washington State team that led the Pac-12 with 38 sacks.
Expressing his enthusiasm about joining the program, Phelps stated:
“It is a great opportunity to reconnect with Coach Sawvel and not just him, I know a lot of the staff by working with them before and meeting them out on the road recruiting. My family and I are very excited to be in Wyoming and we are excited to connect with family in this great area of the country.”
Phelps brings his wife Tyla, son Carsen, and daughter Harlyn to Laramie.
Phelps comes to Wyoming after a successful season as the defensive tackles coach at North Dakota State, where the Bison made an appearance in the FCS Semifinals. His coaching contributions helped mentor Eli Mostaert to All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors, and the team blocked an extra point to secure a spot in the FCS Semifinals.
Prior to his stint at NDSU, Phelps spent three seasons coaching the defensive line at Mississippi State, contributing to the Bulldogs' appearances in three bowl games. He also spent 2017-2019 on staff at Washington State, where he mentored notable players like Lamonte McDougle and Will Rodgers III. Spending 6 years under the late college football coach Mike Leach.
Phelps' coaching journey includes six seasons as the defensive line coach at the University of Minnesota, where his final season saw the Gophers' defense ranking high nationally in various categories. Before that, he spent five years coaching at Northern Illinois, where he notably coached Larry English.
Having graduated from Ball State in 1998, Phelps began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater before gaining experience at DePauw and Hillsdale in various coaching roles. With his extensive background and successful coaching stints, Phelps is poised to make a valuable contribution to the University of Wyoming's football program.
Year School Position
1999-00 Ball State Graduate Assistant
2000-2022 Depauw Linebackers/Running Backs
2003-05 Hillsdale Defensive Line
2006-10 Northern Illinois Defensive Tackles
2011-16 Minnesota Defensive Line
2017-19 Washington State Defensive Line
2020-22 Mississippi State Defensive Line
2023 North Dakota State Defensive Tackles
2024-Pres. Wyoming Defensive Tackles
Composed with information from a UW Press Release
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